“If Great Leader Andrew and Grand Housing Minister Yvette could spare just a moment to consider the best interests of this child, even though he can’t vote for several more elections, they might be moved to get this family into proper housing before the next Melbourne Cup.” HUGH SELBY finds progress on decent housing remains illegally slow for Little Dion and his Gran.
Wanting children to be safe, to be warm and dry, to be loved, is essential to our survival. Where there’s a will that belief can transcend political and religious chasms.
There’s no such transcending of those chasms by Hamas, Netanyahu, Putin and Trump when it comes to Palestinian and Ukrainian children; however, I’d like to think that here in Canberra, those chasms thankfully being absent, there is such a will.
As I say, “I’d like to think”, but I know of a young child in our town who is not safe, who is not warm and dry, but who is loved.
Little Dion, whose plight I have shared in CityNews, is much loved. His Gran has been fighting tenaciously to ensure that he is safe, warm and dry in their Housing ACT home.
When I last shared their situation with you, the roofers had just replaced the broken tiles, repointed the mortar on the roof tiles, and replaced the three, leaking skylights.
When it rains an umbrella is no longer needed in the toilet, and a light fitting will not fill with water and create an electrical hazard.
Progress, albeit unlawfully delayed for many months, is still progress.
However, that still leaves as “urgent” repairs to make the place habitable and safe: the replacement of the loose toilet and the broken cistern; the replacement of the mould-infested wall between the toilet and Dion’s bedroom; fixing his window so it can open; re-installing a fan in the laundry; installing proper ventilation in the three skylight rooms so that condensation does not drip drip in those rooms, fixing the back sliding doors; removing the extensive mould from the toilet and kitchen floors; and, removing the dangerous metal pieces, the druggie needles and the surface roots in the back and front yards.
Nobody from Housing ACT has told Gran if or when these “urgent” repairs will be done. Two officials visited recently for an inspection outside and inside that took close to an hour. One of them was good enough to say: “We want to get things done.”
That’s nice, but Gran and little Dion have needed those repairs to be done since they moved in. Those “urgent” needs have been ignored month, after month, after month.
Housing ACT nor any of our politicians give a damn
Gran has discussed her predicament with an advocacy group and with Child Protection. She is bowing to the reality that neither Housing ACT, nor any of our politicians, give a damn about her and little Dion’s housing.
Although she’d love to make that house her home, the interests of Little Dion and bringing an end to the daily stress, have led her to apply for a transfer to somewhere close by that is safe, warm and dry.
If Great Leader Andrew and Grand Housing Minister Yvette could spare just a moment to consider the best interests of this child, even though he can’t vote for several more elections, they might be moved to get this family moved into proper housing before the next Melbourne Cup.
The necessary forms, along with supporting references, have been filed by Gran.
Also filed, and with a first hearing this month in our local tribunal, ACAT, is her application for orders that the repairs be done. There is also a claim for compensation. That reflects by how much the rent should have been reduced over these many months because the house was not the safe, warm and dry home for which she is paying the rent.
None of this causes Housing ACT, or the Great Leader and the Grand Minister, even a smidgen of stress, let alone embarrassment. Any ACAT orders can be ignored because tenant Gran doesn’t have the means to take enforcement proceedings.
One law for Housing ACT, another for how it treats its tenants
In an earlier article I pointed out how some years ago a public housing tenant in NSW, who was done over year after year, finally succeeded when the NSW Tribunal threatened the relevant Department with contempt of Tribunal proceedings being taken in the NSW Supreme Court.
We should be thrilled if ACAT takes up that cudgel against Housing ACT.
One morning this week I cycled past little Dion’s place. He was away playing with other kids his age. His Gran was in the garden, pushing hard on a spade, continuing her quest to turn what had been an overgrown, drug-needle-infested front yard into a real garden.
Little Dion wants Uncle Andrew and Aunt Yvette to look at his place
These days we only see the Great Leader and the Imaginary Opposition Leader when there are photoshoot opportunities.
They should raid their props cupboard, get their hard hat and orange vest, and arrive at Gran and little Dion’s house when some tradies are there.
Imagine this specially staged scene: our two bedecked leaders posing in the garden, tradies at work, Gran leaning on her spade with thankful eyes upon these saviours, and little Dion rushing across the foreground on his trike.
I know it’s small beer when compared with a new school, or businesses being killed in Civic by the shiny red toy project scaring away customers, but think of it this way: it will create the illusion that our poseur leaders care.
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